preform
Americanverb (used with object)
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to form beforehand.
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to determine or decide beforehand.
to preform an opinion.
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to shape or fashion beforehand.
to preform a mold.
noun
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preforms
plural
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any of various uncompleted objects of manufacture after preliminary shaping.
Usage
What does preform mean? As a verb, preform means to make or form something before something else happens, or during a preliminary stage. As a noun, a preform is an object in its initial form, before it is completed with additional work. When used as a verb, preform can refer to forming an abstract thing, such as an idea or opinion, or a tangible thing, such as a sculpture, piece of clothing, or other manufactured item. When used as a noun, preform typically refers to a physical object (like that sculpture or piece of clothing) that is intended to be finished with additional crafting. It is sometimes hyphenated as pre-form. Example: Don’t preform an opinion about Grace before you even meet her.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of preform
From the Latin word praefōrmāre, dating back to 1595–1605. See pre-, form
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“While overall supply is sufficient, constraints in preform capacity are tightening availability of high-spec fiber and supporting pricing,” they say.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026
The jointed arms with surgical instruments at the end are used to preform keyhole surgery, and are moved by a surgeon who controls them via a computer.
From BBC ● Mar. 13, 2022
The autopsies are part of a new initiative through Kaepernick's Know Your Rights Camp and will collaborate with pathologists who are board certified and preform autopsies, according to KTVU.
From Fox News ● Feb. 23, 2022
In years past, Sheryl Crow was known to stop into the Red Bar in Grayton Beach and preform a song or two.
From Washington Times ● Jul. 2, 2015
She has tested the wanderer, Alcinous can now preform the ceremonies.
From Homer's Odyssey A Commentary by Denton Jaques Snider
Glass preforms are heated until their structure becomes loose enough to be drawn into extremely thin fibers.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 22, 2026
These preforms, which look like plastic test tubes, are sold to brands and bottle manufacturers to be shaped into plastic bottles of the desired shape and size.
From BBC ● Apr. 2, 2026
Still, it must be exhausting to be Tom Cruise, who famously preforms his own stunts.
From New York Times ● Jul. 11, 2023
The state officials say that these "preforms," which are designed to be expanded with heat and pressure into 2-liter soda bottles, don't fit the racks used in laboratory analysis of test samples.
From Salon ● Jun. 21, 2020
The hymn has permeated the tune, and, without forgetting its own words, the Scotch melody preforms both a social and religious mission.
From The Story of the Hymns and Tunes by Theron Brown
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
